Music-leaf turner



E. T. SPITLER.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2 5, 1916;

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR fipufler WITNESSES ATTORNEY THIS coLuMnm PLANOORAPII v--, \\'.-\smNuTo.\'. IL (2 E. T. SPITLER.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1916.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTO R N EY m I'LANOGRAPH C0,. WASHINGTON, I). c.

E. T. SPITLER.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLlCATION FILED NOV. 25, 1916.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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ELMER T. SPI'ILER, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 191 9.

Application filed November 25, 1916. Serial No. 133,425.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER T. SPITLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to music leaf turners, and is an improvement on Patent No. 1,134,024 issued to me March 30, 1915.

The object of the invention is to provide a foot operated device for turning sheet music so that both hands may be left entirely .free.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character in which is employed the magnetic sheet gripping de-- vice whlch is rotatably mounted and 1S automatically operated when released by the foot operating means, and which carries adjustable means for gripping sheet music, the said gripping means being automatically operated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character employing a single sheet turning arm remov ing the sheet music from one position to another, in which the mechanism is so arranged and controlled that the sheet turning arm will be carried with its attached sheet music from one position to another, and automatically held and gripped in such position, and in which the sheet turning arm will be automatically raised to disengage the sheet, and then automatically return to its initial position for engagement with the remaining sheet.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and cfiicient mech' anism which is automatic of operation which may be entirely controlled by the foot.

With the above and other objects in view the invention therefore consists of the following novel combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more specifically referred'to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a piano showing the invention applied thereto, only the casing of the piano beingshown;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the invention detached from the piano;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged rear elevation of a portion of the frame showing the connection of the operating mechanism with one of the music grlpping devices.

1g. 5 is an enlarged sectional view through the operating mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is'a horizontal sectional View on the line 77 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a detailed view of one of the music gripping devices; and

Fig. 9 is a detailed perspective view of the driving gear.

Fig. 10 is a detailed view of the bar for guiding the flexible elements.

Referring in detail to the drawings the piano casing isshown at A and is provided with the usual music supporting element B. The invention is desi 'ned to be used princir pally in connection with a piano, but it is of course obviousthat it may be used in connection with any other instrument. For the purpose of illustration however a piano is shown and the device is adapted to rest upon the usual music supporting element B'thereof. The invention consists of a music supporting frame comprising vertical side bars 10, a central horizontal bar 11', a lower bar 12 of which is angular in cross section in order to provide a music supporting ledge 13. The frame also consists of an upper bar 14 which extends beyond the side bars 10 and supports the sheet gripping devices to be hereinafter described. The bars 11, 13 and 14 are formed in sections and are pivoted to a central bar 15, in a manner topermit them to be folded upward upon the side bar upon their pivots, which are shown at 16. The central bar 15 is adapted to support the bearing mechanism and for this purpose carries the casing 17.

Located within the casing 17 is a spring motor 18 which is wound by means of a key 19, mounted upon the end of a shaft 20 having bearings in the casing. The casing of the motor 18 is provided with the usual ratchet teeth 21, which cooperate with a spring actuated dog 22' for the purpose of preventing a retrograde action of the motor when it is being wound as is usual in motors of this nature. Mounted upon the shaft 20 is a beveled gear 23, which is adapted to drive the pinion '24 fast upon the shaft 25. The shaft 25 carries upon its opposite end, and upon the outside of the casing, a driving pinion 26 of the form illustrated in Fig. 9; This pinion has integrally formed therewith a segmental collar 27 which has one of its shouldered terminals 28 arranged to be engaged by a pin 29, pivotally mounted at its lower end upon a switch lever 30., and normally raised into operative position by a spring 31 which surrounds the pin. The

lower end of this spring is connected to the bar 30 and its upper end to the casing 13, while its intermediate portion is formed into a cell through which the pin 29 operates.

The switch lever 30 is pivotally mounted uopn a bracket 32 secured to the inner side of the casing, and has its free end arranged to engage a contact terminal 33. which is mounted upon the inside of the casing and insulated therefrom, and is pro ided with a binding post 34 by means of which connection is made with the circuit within which the switch lever is included.

Meshing with the pinion 26 is a pinion 37, the said pinion being mounted upon a shaft 36 having bearings in the casing. Mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 37 is the sheet turning arm 38, constructed in a man ner similar to that employed in my previously mentioned patent, which includes the telescopic sections 39 and 40 adaptedto be adjusted by the set screw 41 and pivotally mounted as at %2. The outer end of the arm 33 is provided with a sleeve 43, within which is adjustably mounted by means of a set screw 4-1 a rod 45 which carries upon its lower end. an electrical magnet 46. This magnet is magnetized and demagnetized by means of the switch lever 30 after the manner described in my before mentioned pat-- ent, so that it is not thought necessary to enter into a. detailed description of its op eration.

For the purpose of returning the arm 38 to its initial position, the shaft 37 is con nected to one end of the coil spring -17, which is wound when the arm is moved by the impulse of the spring motor, and when the said arm is released by the disengage ment of the gears 26 and 36, this spring 47 will return the arm to its initial position. In order to regulate the speed at which this frame may be moved the shaft 37 is further provided with a grooved wheel 48, which is frictionally engaged by a spring hook as which forms a brake, which may be adjusted by means of a knurled nut 50.

As above stated the bar 141. of the support ing' frame carries sheet holding devices at its outer ends, one of the said devices 51 be ing in the form of a spring finger 52 which is adapted to engage the sheet music, the said finger being gripped by a slide by means of which it may be adjusted along the bar 14 in order to accommodate the music of different widths. The grip 53 which is adjustably mounted upon the opposite end of the bar 14:, by means of the slide 54:, is provided for the purpose of holding the sheet in position after the same has been released by the magnet 46. It is also provided with a spring controlled finger 55, which is pivoted at 56 to the slide. One end of this finger has connected thereto a flexible member 57, which is connected at its opposite end with a bell crank 58 pivoted upon the supporting arm. The opposite frame of the bell crank is also connected to a flexible member 59 which has connection with a bell crank 60 pivoted upon the rear of the casing. Also pivoted upon the casing at 61 is a lever 62 which is connected at one end by means of a link 63 with the bell crank 60. Mounted upon the shaft 25 is an arm 64:, which rotates with the said shaft and engages the upper end of the lever 62 so as to rock it upon its pivot and open the linger of the gripping device 5st through the connections ust described and which are clearly shown in Fig. -l of the drawings. Located upon the rear of the casing is a stop 65 for the purpose of limiting the downward movement of the lever (32.

Mounted upon the top of the casing is a cam 66 for the purpose of lifting the arm 38 so as to withdraw the magnet from the path of the music after the manner described in my former patent. Also gripped by the supporting frame is the spring rod 67 for the purpose of holding the sheet music in position upon the frame, the said rod being similar in construction to the one used in my previously stated patent.

The outer end of the gripping lever 30 is provided with a flexible connection 68 which is adapted to pass through an aperture in a bar 69 secured to the lower end of the supporting frame, and downwardly through the interior of the piano to a foot pedal 70. This pedal is pivoted to a frame 71 secured to the inside of the piano casing and is adapted to be returned to its normal position by means of the spring '72 as shown.

It is believed that the construction and operation of the device will be clear from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, however, the following brief description will be given. A downward pressure on the pedal 7 0 will cause the grip lever 30 to engage the contact 33 which will magnetize the electric magnet and cause it to grip the sheet. A further downward movement of the lever 30 will release the pin 29 from its engagement with the shoulder of the gear 26 and permit the operation of this gear under the impulse of the motor 18. he engagement of the gear 26 with the gear 36 will cause the shaft 37 to be rotated to move the arm 38 from one side of the device to the other, carrying with it the sheet music. As soon as the arm 38 turns the sheet the gear 26 will have reached a position to permit the pin 29 to spring upward under impulse of the spring 31 and causes the release of the grip lever 30 from its engagement With the contact 33. As soon as the magnet is demagnetized by breaking of the circuit the arm 38 Will ride upon the cam 66 to carry the said magnet from the path of the music. The return of the arm 38 to insure its position for engagement with the next sheet is accomplished through the medium of the spring 47.

Having described the invention, What is claimed 1s:

1. The combination With a music leaf turner embodying a stationary support, a rotatable shaft and a sheet turning arm rigidly mounted thereon, of an arm mounted in said support and extending at right angles thereto and a spring hook carried at one end of said arm for frictional engagement With the rotatable shaft and an adjusting nut mounted upon the opposite threaded end of the arm and engageable against the support for regulating the frictional contact of the hook and shaft and controlling the speed of the latter.

2. A music leaf turner comprising a sheet music supporting frame, a sheet music turning mechanism supported thereby, sheet gripping elements carried by the frame and means including a rotatably mounted arm operated by the sheet turning mechanism to open one of the sheet gripping elements to receive a sheet.

3. A music leaf turner comprising a sheet music supporting frame, a sheet music turning mechanism supported thereby, sheet gripping elements carried by the frame and means including a pivoted lever operated by a rotatably mounted arm controlled by the sheet turning mechanism for opening one of the sheet gripping elements to receive a sheet.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

- ELMER T. SPTTLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

